Billing company withholding patient billing records

[Starfire#5]

I am the new receptionist at a one provider chiropractic practice in Madison, Wisconsin. The doctor was unhappy with the service he was getting from his billing company. They had a history of tension. He abruptly decided to end the relationship and wants me to do billing in-house. We were using Medisoft patient accounting on the billing company’s server. They cut off our access and I had no time to do a backup to our PC and they are refusing to give us back the patient billing records. The doctor has an unpaid balance with the company and they said they’d give it back if he paid. The doctor refuses to pay because he feels they did not provide the serice they were billing him for. My question is, can they legally keep that information? I have patients asking me for records and receipts for insurance purposes and I have nothing to give them. I certainly did not think this was going to be part of my job based on the “receptionist” position I applied for, but I take pride in my customer service and want to do my best. Please advise.

 

[Just Blue]

I am the new receptionist at a one provider chiropractic practice in Madison, Wisconsin. The doctor was unhappy with the service he was getting from his billing company. They had a history of tension. He abruptly decided to end the relationship and wants me to do billing in-house. We were using Medisoft patient accounting on the billing company’s server. They cut off our access and I had no time to do a backup to our PC and they are refusing to give us back the patient billing records. The doctor has an unpaid balance with the company and they said they’d give it back if he paid. The doctor refuses to pay because he feels they did not provide the serice they were billing him for. My question is, can they legally keep that information? I have patients asking me for records and receipts for insurance purposes and I have nothing to give them. I certainly did not think this was going to be part of my job based on the “receptionist” position I applied for, but I take pride in my customer service and want to do my best. Please advise.

Seriously? Your boss is such a jerk he puts this on you? Quit. Get a better job with a competent Doctor.

 

[Zigner]

...and tell the doctor to pay what he owes so that he can properly serve his patients (current and former)!

 

[Taxing Matters]

My question is, can they legally keep that information?

That's going to depend on what the contract between them says about access to that information. Unless the contract guarantees the practice access to the records even when there is a claimed balance due the doctor may be stuck. His likely options here are (1) to pay the outstanding bill or (2) sue for access to the records if he believes his contract gives him a right to those records. If he chooses to sue it is likely the billing company will counter sue for the amount it claims is owed. It may well be that in the end he'll have to pay the bill anyway. I recommend he take the contract to a local business lawyer to see where he stands and go over his options.

 

[not2cleverRed]

Additionally, it is a collosally horrible idea to have a "receptionist" double as medical billing person.

The two jobs require very different skill sets, and if you are going to be expected to wield both effectively, you should be compensated accordingly.